1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, for cutting a photoreceptor web of an electrophotographic printer, which cuts a photoreceptor web installed in an electrophotographic printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic printer such as a color laser printer, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a photoreceptor web 10 circulating along an endless path by being supported by a plurality of rollers 11, 12 and 13 installed at a belt unit in the printer. An image to be printed is developed by a predetermined development unit 15 on one side of the photoreceptor web 10. The developed image is dried while passing a drying unit 16 and printed on a sheet of paper 1 in a transfer unit 14 including a transfer roller 14a and a fixation roller 14b. 
The photoreceptor web 10 becomes worn over time, and eventually, the accuracy of a developed image deteriorates. Thus, the photoreceptor web 10 should be replaced after a certain amount of usage to maintain a clean developed image.
In a web replacing process, it is quicker and easier to cut a portion of the photoreceptor web 10 in the widthwise direction, as opposed to removing the photoreceptor web 10 (uncut) from the printer. In the xe2x80x9cuncutxe2x80x9d web removal process, the photoreceptor web 10 is pulled side by side from the rollers 11, 12, and 13 of the belt unit. However, in the xe2x80x9ccutxe2x80x9d web removal process, after the photoreceptor web 10 is cut, it may be easily pulled from the rollers 11, 12, and 13, without prevention. Also, when the photoreceptor web 10 is cut and removed, a predetermined winding device may be used to wind the photoreceptor web 10, and the use of various photoreceptor web disassembling devices is made possible. Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus for cutting a photoreceptor web installed in a printer in the widthwise direction.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus for cutting a photoreceptor web of an electrophotographic printer, which can cut the photoreceptor web in the widthwise direction thereof when the photoreceptor web is to be removed from the printer.
To achieve the above objective, the photoreceptor web cutting apparatus includes a driving unit provided in the printer, and a cutting blade driven by the driving unit, for cutting the photoreceptor web while moving across the photoreceptor web in the widthwise direction thereof.